Police Groups Oppose Washington Anti-Gun Initiative

By Tom Knighton

Washington state is in the midst of the most screwed up battle on a gun control initiative I’ve ever seen. Initiative 1639 was thrown out by the courts, then that was overturned, and now the state is going to have to vote on this come November.

However, while anti-gunners routinely claim that measures like those proposed in Initiative 1639 will reduce crime, this particular set of laws has gathered opposition from the one group you would think would support something that would result in less crime: Police officers.

The Washington State Sheriffs Association, the Washington State Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor Association, and the Washington Council of Police & Sheriffs announced they oppose I-1639, a move to make it harder to get some semi-automatic firearms.

The groups argued, in statements released by the National Rifle Association, that the ballot measure will have little effect on crime while ramping up possibly unconstitutional restrictions on gun owners.

“This initiative has nothing to do with ‘assault weapons’ and is directed only at our good citizens who already pass multiple background checks before owning a firearm,” said WSLEFIA. “I-1639 is an attack on civil rights and is an attempt to marginalize all firearm …Read the Rest

Source:: Bearing Arms